Composite package



Jan. 28, 1964 P. E. COPE ETAL COMPOSITE PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 30, 1962 INVENTOR Fla 2 PAUL E. COPE RALPH a. VANDE'RMA/V BY W ATTORNEY Jan. 28, 1964 P. E. COPE ETAL 3,119,544

COMPOSITE PACKAGE Filed March 30, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 X 4% INVENTORS PAUL E. COPE i RALPH B. VANDE'RMA/V 4; FIG, BY

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,112,544 CQMPGSITE PACKAGE Paui E. Gaps: and Raiph B. Vandernian, Cincinnati, @1110,

assignors to The Procter 8; Gambia Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of @1110 Filed Mar. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 183,828 6 Claims. (61. 229-14) This invention relates to composite packages of the type comprising an inner plastic container, an outer carton of paperboard or the like, and an intermediate liner, in the nature of the packages shown and described in copending application Serial No. 156,910 filed December 4, 1961. More particularly, the invention consists in new and useful improvements in a combination plastic and paperboard package primarily designed as a consumer package for liquids, such as soaps, detergents, etc., and including an improved handle arrangement which maintains its rigidity when in use, and renders it easier to see the spout when pouring liquids from the container.

An object of the invention is to provide a composite package wherein the adjacent walls and flaps of the outer carton and the complementary wall of the intermediate liner are formed to coact and provide a handle arrangement located at one of the top edges of the package opposite the edge location of the pouring spout, which serves both as a carrying handle and as a holding handle for pouring.

Another object of the invention is to provide a handle arrangement in a package of this type which is rigid and ready for use by the consumer, having a smooth gripping surface completely concealing sharp raw edges of the carton board and liner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a composite package of the industrial chemical type which is also suitable for household products, having a finished appearance and a capacity equal to a glass jug, the contour of said package facilitating its stacking, both in storage and in store displays.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a top flap in the outer carton which is cut to serve the dual purpose of providing a portion of the handle and a tongue which overlies and protects the inner container and its content from light which would otherwise enter through the handle openings.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features herein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designate similar parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the paperboard blank forming the outer carton;

FIG. 2 is a similm View of the blank for the intermediate corrugated liner;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the assembled and partially closed package;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the assembled package with the final flap remaining to be closed;

FIG. 5 is a similar view with the final flap in closed position;

PEG. -6 is a similar view with the spout-accommodating cut-out removed from the closure flap; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 77 of FIG. 6, showing the spout in projected position and the handle grasped 'by a hand, shown in dotted lines.

In the drawings, referring first to FIG. 1, the outer carton blank is generally indicated by the numeral 14} and is composed of suitable paperboard having the required ice properties of strength and resistance to use. The blank is die-cut and formed to provide four side walls 11, 12, 13 and 14, having adjoining bottom flaps 15', 16, 17 and 13 respectively. The alternate flaps 15 and 17 are preferably of a length substantially half of that of the intervening flaps 16 and 18.

The profile of the opposite edge of the blank 10 is cut to provide two elongated top flaps 19 and 20, adjoining the side walls 11 and 13 respectively, and alternate short flaps 21 and 22 adjoining side walls 12. and 14 respectively. The blank 14 during the die-cutting process, is provided with fold lines 23 along the junctions of adjacent side walls and flaps in the usual manner, and the outer extremity of the side wall 14 is provided with a foldable sealing strip 24, adapted to be secured to the opposite outer extremity of the side wall 11 when the blank is folded in rectangular form.

The profiles of the closure flaps 19-22 inclusive, as well as their score and cut lines, are clearly shown in FIG. 1, from which it will be seen that flap 19 is substantially square for the type of carton here illustrated, and is laterally reduced in width along opposite side edges for the major portion of its length, leaving a slightly elongated shoulder area 25 adjacent the fold line 23 where it joins the side wall 11. A second, parallel score or fold line 26 is provided along the opposite extremity of the shoulder area 25, and suitably spaced from the score or fold line 26, the flap is cut as at 2.7 to form three separable edges of a shielding tongue 28, connected along its other edge to the main body of the flap 19 for the purpose hereinafter described. Also, folding score lines 29, 3t) and 31 are provided in those portions of the flap bounding the cut-out tongue area 28, to facilitate the folding and manipulation of the tongue in the assembly of the carton.

Alternate closure flaps 21 and 22 are substantially shorter than fiap 19 and their free edges are die-cut to provide complementary openings 32 and cut-out areas 33, designed to accommodate complementary openings in flap 20 to be described.

Referring to flap 20, it will be seen that this flap is substantially square and is provided with a cut-out area 34 which, when the flap is folded, registers with the cut-out areas 32 in flaps 21 and 22. Adjacent the junction or fold line 23 which joins flap 249 to side wall 13, the base of the flap is cut as at 35, so as when folded to be free from the upper edge of side wall 13, along the length of the cut line 35. From the opposite ends of cut line 35, the flap has a line of weakening as at 36 to provide a separable, substantially U-shaped spout accommodating flap 37, hereinafter referred to more in detail. The flap 37 is transversely scored as at 38 to provide a fold line between the major portion of flap 37 and a transverse pull-up tab 39.

Returning to side wall 11, it will be seen that in its upper portion, spaced downwardly from the junction or fold line 23, the wall is provided with a substantially oval hand-hold opening 40, the flap 41 or gripping portion cut therefrom being hinged along a fold line 42 at its upper edge and thereby inwardly foldable to coact with the hand-hold opening 34 in flap 20, when the blank is folded as hereinafter described.

As will be seen from FIG. 2, the intermediate corrugated liner blank, generally represented by the numeral 43, is foldable along vertical lines 44 to provide reinforcing liner walls for the corresponding side walls of the outer carton just described. One wall 45 of the liner 43 is provided with a cut-out area 46, adapted to register with the cut-out area or hand-hold opening 4-0 in side wall 11 of the outer carton 10. It will be noted, however, that the cut-out area 46 is of greater depth than the cut-out area 40, to accommodate the free end of the tongue 23 on flap 19 and act as a stop therefor, as will be described later.

The assembly and use of the composite package of the present invention will best be understood from FIGS. 3-7, inclusive. Turning first to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the four side walls and the bottom ilaps of the carton are folded and sealed in the usual manner to form a rectangular outer carton 10. The intermediate liner 43 is formed by folding the blank shown in FIG. 2 along the fold lines 44 and inserting the liner in. the outer carton It with its cut-out wall 45 lying adjacent the carton side wall 11, the opening 46 in the liner wall 45 registering with but extending below the lower extremity of the carton wall opening 4! as best seen in FIG. 7.

Preferably, the intermediate liner .3 is made of corrugated board with vertical corrugations so as to form an enveloping sleeve which adds to the bulge resistance and crush resistance of the packed carton. Also, as will later appear, a portion of this corrugated board adds to the strength of the handle arrangement.

An inner plastic container 47 which may be of the type shown in FIG. 8 of said copending application Serial No. 156,910, and having an inwardly offset. corner area 47a, is inserted within the lined carton it the offset corner area 47a being located to accommodate the fingers of a hand holding the carton when inserted in the hand-hold openings. The container 47 is provided with a projectable and retractible pouring spout 48 located in the top portion of the container adjacent the opposite edge thereof. Of course, when the package is being assembled, the pouring spout 43 is retracted and closed with a suitable cap 49 after first having been filled with a liquid product.

With the closed container 47 in place, the top closure flap 19 is first folded inwardly along its main fold score line 23 and the protecting tongue 28 thereof is freed by severing the cut lines 27. The flap 19 is then creased along fold lines 26, 31, 3t) and 29 as seen in FIG. 3 to condition the flap for folding and manipulation to the position shown in FIG. 7. First, the handle flap 41, hingedly connected to carton side wall 11 at the boundary of hand opening dd, is folded inwardly through the opening 4-6 in the stiffening liner wall 45 and diagonally upwardly as shown. The creased top closure flap 19 is then folded along the fold lines referred to so that the freed tongue 28 is directed angularly downwardly until its free end lies in the liner opening 46 in abutment with the inner face of the carton side wall 11 below its opening 40. The base portion of flap 11.9 is folded inwardly along fold line 26 and outwardly along fold line 31 on either side of the tongue 28. This leaves the shoulder portion 25 of the flap parallel with the top. of the carton, but brings the inwardly folded portion 25a into overlapping position with respect to the inwardly folded side wall flap 41 just referred to. In this position, the tongue is supported by the two remaining side arms 1% on either side of the tongue 28, which are folded along fold lines 29 and 30 to accommodate the manipulation of the flap and tongue.

With the flap 19 thus folded and positioned, the small top flaps 21 and 22 are folded thereover so that the cutout portions 32 jointly form an opening in the top, the plane of which is right-angularly disposed with respect to the hand opening 4% in side wall 11, from which the hand-hold flap or gripping portion 41 was folded and the complementary cut-out portions 33 of the flaps 21 and 22 jointly form an opening to accommodate the pouring spout-48 of the container 47.

The final top flap 2% is then folded over the two side flaps just referred to so that the opening 34 in said flap 2t registers with the opening 32 formed by the side flaps. At this point, of course, the cut-out tab 37 has not been removed along the line of weakening 36, although the out line 35 frees that end of the lifting tab 39 for subsequent removal of the main tab 37. The flaps forming the top of the carton are sealed in a conventional manner l and, preferably, the bottom of the carton is sealed with water resistant glue to prevent the flaps from opening in the event the container becomes wet in use.

When it is desired to open the package, the pull-up tab 39 (FIG. 5) is folded upwardly along fold line 33 from the cut line 35 and the tab 37 is pulled out along the line of weakening 36 to expose the pouring spout 48 of the inner container 47 as shown in FIG. 6. As seen from FIG. 7, when the package is assembled and in use, the tongue 28 of flap 1? is held in position over the offset edge 47:; of the inner container 47 by the engagement of its free edge with the liner opening ,6, and at its other end by engagement of free edge 19b of flap 19 beneath flaps 2.1 and 22. It thereby not only acts as a shield to prevent light from reaching the inner container through the hand-hold openings 40 and 34, but, together with the upwardly folded and overlapping gripping portions 41 and 25a, forms a hand or finger accommodating compartment in the upper edge of the composite package. Thus, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 7, the fingers and thumb of a user are inserted through the openings 34 and 4-3 which are disposed at right angles to one another, and by means of the reinforced edge structure provided by the overlapping gripping portions, in conjunction with the edge structure of the outer carton and intermediate liner, a substantial grip can be maintained on the edge handle, either for carrying or pouring. Furthermore, by virtue of the folded arrangement of the gripping portions 25a and 41, no sharp or rough edges of the flaps are presented to interfere with the ease of gripping and carrymg.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a composite plastic and paperboard package which not only presents consumer eye appeal, but is extremely easy to handle and possesses a maximum of strength in the handle struc ture. Furthermore, this package is designed to facilitate stacking, both for storage and window display.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

We claim:

1. A composite package comprising a rectangular outer carton having side walls and at least two foldable end closure flaps, an inner container of substantially complementary shape and having one upper edge area thereof at least partially inwardly offset with respect to the corresponding edge of said outer carton to provide a clearance space, a hand-hold opening on the side wall of said outer carton adjacent said clearance space, a gripping portion hingedly connected to said last-named side wall adjacent the upper boundary of said hand-hold opening and foldable inwardly and upwardly within said clearance space, one of said end closure flaps being hingedly connected to said last-named side wall above said hand-hold opening, the base area of said one closure flap being transversely scored along parallel lines spaced from its junction to said side wall and from each other to provide an inwardly foldable gripping portion adapted when folded to overlap said side wall gripping flap, the intermediate portion of said one closure flap being cut out to define a light shielding tongue connected at its base to said flap with its free end directed angularly inwardly and downwardly between said inner container and the hand-hold opening in said carton side wall, the other of said end closure flaps being hinged at its base to the opposite side wall of said carton and provided with a hand-hold opening which, when the last-named closure flap is folded, registers with the cut-out portion of said first-named closure flap over the downwardly directed tongue, where-by a hand may be inserted through said closure flap opening, clearance space and side Wall handheld opening in gripping engagement with the overlapping gripping portion and hand-hold flap.

2. A composite package as claimed in claim 1, including an intermediate liner of stiffening material interposed between at least the one side wall of said outer carton having the hand-hold opening and the adjacent wall of said inner container, and a hand-hold opening in said intermediate liner positioned to register with said carton side wal l hand-hold opening, said gripping portion carried by said carton side wall being tfioldable inwardly through said liner hand-hold opening and upwardly adjacent the inner face of said liner.

3. A composite package as claimed in claim 2, wherein the hand-hold opening in said liner is of greater vertical dimension than said side wall hand-hold opening and its lower boundary is disposed in downwardiy spaced relation to the corresponding boundary of said side wall handhold opening, said light shielding tongue being of sulficient length when in shielding position to engage the lower boundary of said liner handhold opening in abutting relation to the adjacent inner face of said carton side wall to thereby retain said tongue in shielding position.

4. In a composite package including a rectangular outer carton having side walls and at least one foldable end closure flap at one end and forming an edge with one of said side walls, and an inner container of substantially complementary shape and having one upper edge area thereof inwardly oifset with respect to said edge of said outer carton to provide a clearance space; a combined carton hand-hold structure and light shield for said inner container, comprising a first hand-hold open ing in the side wall of said outer carton adjacent said clearance space, said end closure flap having a hinge connection to said last-named side wall in upwardly spaced relation to said first hand-hold opening and being foldable over the end of said outer carton, the intermediate area of said end closure flap being cut along three adjoining lines to provide a second hand-hold opening therein lying in a plane at substantially right angles to said first handhold opening, in inwardly spaced, parallel relation to said hinge connection, a portion of said end closure flap between said second hand-hold opening and said hinge connection being foldableinwardly and downwardly into said clearance space to form a gripping portion accessible through both of said hand-hold openings, the partially severed area of said end closure flap forming a light shield, hinged-1y connected at its base to said flap with its free end directed angularly inwardly and downwardly in said clearance space and lying between said inner container and both hand-hold openings.

5. A structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein said side wall is provided adjacent said first hand-hold opening with a gripping portion hingedly connected along the upper edge of said first hand-hold opening and tfo-ldable diagonally inwardly and upwardly in said clearance space with its free edge in abutment with the underside of said end closure flap adjacent said second hand-hold opening, said first-named gripping portion formed in said end clo sure flap being foldable diagonally inwardly and downwardly in overlapping relation to said last-named gripping portion to jointly form a reinforced gripping member.

6. A structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein that portion of said end closure flap between the latters hinge connection and the fold line of the gripping portion formed from said end closure flap provides a shoulder, beneath which the free edge of said side wall gripping portion abuts when folded, whereby when said gripping portions are folded in overlapping relation, they form, jointly with said shoulder, a reinforced gripping member of substantially triangular transverse cross-section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,284,385 Freshwaters May 26, 1942 2,312,598 Spraque Mar. 2, 1943 2,586,156 Ferguson Feb. 19, 1952 2,954,901 Winstead Oct. 4, 1960 

1. A COMPOSITE PACKAGE COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR OUTER CARTON HAVING SIDE WALLS AND AT LEAST TWO FOLDABLE END CLOSURE FLAPS, AN INNER CONTAINER OF SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLEMENTARY SHAPE AND HAVING ONE UPPER EDGE AREA THEREOF AT LEAST PARTIALLY INWARDLY OFFSET WITH RESPECT TO THE CORRESPONDING EDGE OF SAID OUTER CARTON TO PROVIDE A CLEARANCE SPACE, A HAND-HOLD OPENING ON THE SIDE WALL OF SAID OUTER CARTON ADJACENT SAID CLEARANCE SPACE, A GRIPPING PORTION HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID LAST-NAMED SIDE WALL ADJACENT THE UPPER BOUNDARY OF SAID HAND-HOLD OPENING AND FOLDABLE INWARDLY AND UPWARDLY WITHIN SAID CLEARANCE SPACE, ONE OF SAID END CLOSURE FLAPS BEING HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID LAST-NAMED SIDE WALL ABOVE SAID HAND-HOLD OPENING, THE BASE AREA OF SAID ONE CLOSURE FLAP BEING TRANSVERSELY SCORED ALONG PARALLEL LINES SPACED FROM ITS JUNCTION TO SAID SIDE WALL AND FROM EACH OTHER TO PROVIDE AN INWARDLY FOLDABLE GRIPPING PORTION ADAPTED WHEN FOLDED TO OVERLAP SAID SIDE WALL GRIPPING FLAP, THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID ONE CLOSURE FLAP BEING CUT OUT TO DEFINE A LIGHT SHIELDING TONGUE CONNECTED AT ITS BASE TO SAID FLAP WITH ITS FREE END DIRECTED ANGULARLY INWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY BETWEEN SAID INNER CONTAINER AND THE HAND-HOLD OPENING IN SAID CARTON SIDE WALL, THE OTHER OF SAID END CLOSURE FLAPS BEING HINGED AT ITS BASE TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE WALL OF SAID CARTON AND PROVIDED WITH A HAND-HOLD OPENING WHICH, WHEN THE LAST-NAMED CLOSURE FLAP IS FOLDED, REGISTERS WITH THE CUT-OUT PORTION OF SAID FIRST-NAMED CLOSURE FLAP OVER THE DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED TONGUE, WHEREBY A HAND MAY BE INSERTED THROUGH SAID CLOSURE FLAP OPENING, CLEARANCE SPACE AND SIDE WALL HAND-HOLD OPENING IN GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OVERLAPPING GRIPPING PORTION AND HAND-HOLD FLAP. 